NewEnergyNews: MORE NEWS, 5-6 (VOTERS WANT NEW ENERGY, RES; WIND DISASTER! TURBINE FAILS, ROAD CLOSED, AND THAT’S ALL; NEW SIEMENS WIND PLANT, NEW JOBS FOR KANSAS)/

NewEnergyNews

Gleanings from the web and the world, condensed for convenience, illustrated for enlightenment, arranged for impact...

The challenge now: To make every day Earth Day.

YESTERDAY

THINGS-TO-THINK-ABOUT WEDNESDAY, August 23:

  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And The New Energy Boom
  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And the EV Revolution
  • THE DAY BEFORE

  • Weekend Video: Coming Ocean Current Collapse Could Up Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Impacts Of The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current Collapse
  • Weekend Video: More Facts On The AMOC
  • THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 15-16:

  • Weekend Video: The Truth About China And The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Florida Insurance At The Climate Crisis Storm’s Eye
  • Weekend Video: The 9-1-1 On Rooftop Solar
  • THE DAY BEFORE THAT

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 8-9:

  • Weekend Video: Bill Nye Science Guy On The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: The Changes Causing The Crisis
  • Weekend Video: A “Massive Global Solar Boom” Now
  • THE LAST DAY UP HERE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 1-2:

  • The Global New Energy Boom Accelerates
  • Ukraine Faces The Climate Crisis While Fighting To Survive
  • Texas Heat And Politics Of Denial
  • --------------------------

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    Founding Editor Herman K. Trabish

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    WEEKEND VIDEOS, June 17-18

  • Fixing The Power System
  • The Energy Storage Solution
  • New Energy Equity With Community Solar
  • Weekend Video: The Way Wind Can Help Win Wars
  • Weekend Video: New Support For Hydropower
  • Some details about NewEnergyNews and the man behind the curtain: Herman K. Trabish, Agua Dulce, CA., Doctor with my hands, Writer with my head, Student of New Energy and Human Experience with my heart

    email: herman@NewEnergyNews.net

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      A tip of the NewEnergyNews cap to Phillip Garcia for crucial assistance in the design implementation of this site. Thanks, Phillip.

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    Pay a visit to the HARRY BOYKOFF page at Basketball Reference, sponsored by NewEnergyNews and Oil In Their Blood.

  • ---------------
  • WEEKEND VIDEOS, August 24-26:
  • Happy One-Year Birthday, Inflation Reduction Act
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 1
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 2

    Wednesday, May 06, 2009

    MORE NEWS, 5-6 (VOTERS WANT NEW ENERGY, RES; WIND DISASTER! TURBINE FAILS, ROAD CLOSED, AND THAT’S ALL; NEW SIEMENS WIND PLANT, NEW JOBS FOR KANSAS)

    VOTERS WANT NEW ENERGY, RES
    New Poll Shows Nationwide, Bipartisan Support For Renewable Electricity Standard
    May 5, 2009 (American Wind Energy Association)

    Key Findings From Recent National Survey On Renewable Energy Issues from Hart Research Associates is further verification of how much backing the voting public gives the Obama administration’s plan for New Energy.

    A national sample of 801 likely voters quizzed between April 29 and May 1, 2009, shows “true bipartisan” as well as “broad and committed” support for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES).

    Overwhelming majority: 75% of voters are for an RES that would “…require electric utility companies across the nation to generate at least 25% of their electricity through renewable energy sources … by the year 2025…” 53% STRONGLY favor it. Only 16% oppose it.

    click to enlarge

    Bipartisan majority: 86% of Democrats favor the RES proposal. 71% of independents favor it and 62% of Republicans are for it.

    National majority: 84% support it in the Northeast, 75% support it in the Midwest and West, and 71% support it in the South.

    The poll also found voters have a good base of knowledge about New Energy, which is probably why their support for the RES is so strong.

    70% of “soft” RES supporters volunteered a comment explaining their support. The pollsters described this as “…an extremely high level of awareness.”

    click to enlarge

    Respondents had concerns that the RES might raise electricity rates. The pollsters describe 2 findings relevant on this point: (1) Only 32% of voters thought increased rates was a "very" convincing argument against the RES, and (2) even “soft” RES supporters remain supporters when told the rate increase would be $2-to-$3 a month.

    The most “impressive” finding to the pollsters was that even after they were given 4 “concerns” about the RES (and no arguments to support their pro-RES postion), 65% of the original 75% pro-RES voters continued to favor it and the anti-RES numbers only went up to 25%.

    With such a huge pro-RES majority it hardly matters, but the poll had a margin of error of +3.5%.


    WIND DISASTER! TURBINE FAILS, ROAD CLOSED, AND THAT’S ALL
    CHP reopens Hwy. 58 after wind turbine scare
    Tina Forde, May 4, 2009 (Tehachapi News)

    "The California Highway Patrol re-opened Hwy. 58 at 11 p.m. Sunday night, May 3, following a meeting between representatives of the owners of an out-of-control wind turbine and the CHP commander….

    "Smith said that apparently the phenomenon of a turbine spinning unchecked is not an uncommon occurrance, but in this case it was so close to the highway there was concern for motorist safety.

    "It was not clear exactly how dangerous the turbine could be if it flew apart, or how far the pieces would go, but the mission of the CHP, Smith said, is to err on the side of safety…[O]wners apparently were not in agreement with [reports that chunks could fly as far as a mile]…"


    At least the folks in Tehachapi KNOW what happened to their turbine. Consider these poor folks. From watnoudan888 via YouTube

    "The CHP closed Hwy. 58 between Hwy. 14 and the Monolith-Tehachapi Summit exit at 3 p.m. Sunday after learning that the turbine [located 1,400 feet from the highway] was spinning out of control and had already thrown off its cowling…

    "The turbine belongs to the AES company and is one of the older derrick models that was built 20 years ago by Vestas…[I]ts white blades frequently were spinning so fast they could not be seen …[T]he only way to stop such a runaway turbine is to wait for the wind to die down…

    "A wind energy expert not connected to the company said such turbine failures – which could be caused by bad brakes or a gear box failure – are seen less and less today as the technology improves."



    NEW SIEMENS WIND PLANT, NEW JOBS FOR KANSAS
    Siemens to build wind turbine production facility in the U.S.; Additional capital investment in green technologies - 400 new jobs to be created
    2009, May 5 (Siemens)

    "Siemens intends to build a new production facility for wind turbines in the state of Kansas. Initially, 400 new jobs are expected to be created in the new wind turbine production facility in Hutchinson, Kansas. When production begins at this facility, Siemens will be able to even more effectively meet the strong demand for wind turbine equipment in North and South America in the future…

    "…With revenues totaling EUR19 billion in fiscal year 2008 [around a quarter of Siemens’ total revenue], Siemens now has the world’s largest portfolio of environmental technologies."


    Kansas made the Top 10 this year and is moving up. (click to enlarge)

    "Construction of the 300,000-square-foot nacelle production facility is scheduled to begin in August 2009. A nacelle is mounted on top of the tower and supports the rotor. It houses a wind turbine’s major components for electric power generation, including the gearbox, the drive train and the control electronics.

    "The nacelles to be produced in Kansas will weigh 90 tons and the first nacelle is expected to be shipped in December 2010. All nacelles produced in Hutchinson will be used in the company’s reliable 2.3-MW wind turbine product family. Initially, the factory’s planned annual output is approximately 650 nacelles – or 1,500 megawatts (MW)…"


    The nacelle. (click to enlarge)

    "Hutchinson is near the geographic center of the continental United States and offers a viable workforce and excellent transportation logistics. The factory will include direct loading onto rail, which will provide easy access to project locations throughout the Unites States and Canada. Shipments can also be made utilizing the barge facilities at the port of Catoosa, located 250 miles from the plant. Kansas also has excellent wind conditions. In terms of wind energy potential, this centrally located state ranks third in the U.S.

    "Since entering the wind industry in 2004, Siemens has greatly expanded its worldwide manufacturing network…[with] wind turbine blade manufacturing facilities in Fort Madison, Iowa, USA, and Engesvang, [Brande and Aalborg] Denmark…and a new R&D center in Boulder, USA…Siemens’ global wind power business has grown from approximately 800 employees in 2004 to more than 5,500 today, which equals an increase of approximately 650 percent…"

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